The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-19
BURNED TO DEATH. "A
Builalo's Most Prominent Hotel
Is Laid in Ashes.
THE VICTIMS WHO PERISlIED
In tho Flames, Being Unable to
MIKE Their Escape.
STARTLING EXPERIENCES.
Stories OF Those Who Had Close
Calls on Cremation.
LIST OF DEAD AND INJURED.
STARTLING EXPERIENCES.
LIST OF DEAD AND INJURED.

BUFFALO, N. Y, March ls.-Fire was
discovered at 1880 o'clock this morning in
the New Richmond Hotel, corner OF Main
and Eagle streets. The alarm was souud.
ell aud tho fire department responded
promptly. "a.
The hotel was opened for business about
a month ago, and handsomely fitted and
decorated, and was filed with guests las.
night. The fire spread with irightful
rapidity and the gusstu rudely awakened
from their sumbers by the horriiying cry
Of fire." rushed to the windows and other
possible avenues OF escape. When they
saw the flames shutting of their way to
the ground, their heartrerding shrisku
could be heard blocks away. Ladders
wero raised and largo number rescued,
but at sevsn o'clock it was reported that
at least thirty lives have been Lost. Tho
hotel burned like finder box, the corri.
dor in the center Of the building acting as
q great funusl. The fire spread to The
Bunnell Museum building adjoining on
Eagle street and Bmallframe building at-
joiniDg on Main st,est, and the three
structures were entirely destroyed.
One guest jumped from 9th story win
dow onto the root Of the frame building
mentloned., He WAS completely naked
ard lay helpless on the roof. He was
taken down from there and conveyed to
the accident hospital. At q window on
tho third floor two guests were seen to fall
back into the flames. Three OF the ser
want girls are thought to have perished.
Two lady guests, Que with child in her
arms, We're rescued from q fifth floor front
room at 1 o'clock. They bad isin.sd and
narrowly escaped death. Another guest
is at Carneys saloon, near by, internally
injured md will probably die.
r. 7. Bryant, New York travelling
man, is badly burned about the feet and
Mr. Stafford, the proprietor Of the hotel,
was Aroused by tho night clerk and had
barely time to pu. OIL his coat aud trous.
ere. Hs stoad on the corner opposite his
hotel for minute, gazing on the burning
strEcture, snd then burst into tenrs, moan
ing, My God, my God !! soma OF them are
burning. l. cannot bear to hear their
cries. and he put hid hauds to his ears to
Fshns out the cries Of the victims.
The loss will be very heavy. The
hotel was fitted up at cost Of 100000.
and the building was valued at Sl5O,O0O.
Bunnell's Museum wss built q. q Coat OF
s50, 900, and ths loss to the interior fittings
will probably amount to SO 1000.
AT 0 O'Clock the estimates OF the loss OF
life was reduced TO twelve, but this is in
measure mere guesa work. There we're
l25 psrsons in the hotel, seventy Of whom
we're transient guests, eight boarders and
the remainder porters, bell boys, families
OF Proprietors and clerks. Twenty-Five OF
theae were rescued from the windows by
the french, twenty-five are at tho hos
pitals and 8 large number mads their es.
cape by other means.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
| 10. Gilbert, a commercial traveller, OF
IS South Portland avenue, Brooklyn, was
rescued from the Eagle street side. he
could be seen fer soma minutes ct anding
/ in the window Of a fifth door room,
smcke round him and the dull red glare
behind. He was partially DR. essed and in
his sticking feet. Patiently he stood there
snd waited the srrival Of the ladder
which was being slowly raised, aud it
reached him none too soon, lor US he
grasped it and began his descent the
place he had lust vacated YVES seen to
take fire. H.s
In room in DR.. Hayd's Office was little
Jennie Mann, daughter Of one Of the pro.
prietors. She was terribly burned 81!
over and kept calling piteous'y. Tor her
mother snd screaming with pain. She
was in her night dteas and her lace was
pntled With the scorching she received.
Louis Zsndman, Of New York, a dry
goods man, had thrilling experience.
His room was on the fourth floor, and
crawling out Of the window, he gained an
entrance through window near the stage
oi Bunnelrs museum. He found his way
down the stairs and kicked open the street
duor. He was not much Injured, but is
prostrated by the excitement and exhaus.
ton.
Alfred G. Clay, ot*Philadelphia, and
Louis r. Smith, Of Brooklyn, had most
remarkable experience. They We're in
adjoining rooms on the fifth door and tell
about tue same story. Mr.. Clay Was
aroused by the ring OF the electric FIRE bell
and got up. He pressed his finger on the
button, wondering what was wrong, but
the bell continued ringing. He went to
bed again for minute or SO aud got up a
second time to try and stop the noise. 1t
then dawned upon him that something
was wrong. By this time the place was
beginning to blaza furiously. he found
the stairwaya cut OF and took to the win
dows.
"potb he aud Mr.. Smith barely reached
Bunnells Museum when they looked back
and saw Ave girls in the filth story win
dow. They had tied the bed clothing into
a rope which hung out, but none oi them
seemed to have the courage to start. at
last one OF the Hys took hold and swung
down to window ledge, from which she
was assisted by Messrs. CLAY and Smith.
Three others came down in the same man.
ner, and then the filth girl started down.
She had almost completed the distance
when the rope parted and down she went
to the ground, but strange to say hhe was
not killed. Her legs were terribly cut and
bruised: her back badly injured, and her
lace and arms were in frishtiul condition
from burns. She lay moaning upon a
lounge at the Spencer House, begging to
besont home. Her name 10 saiG to be Mary
Oonnell, Of All Hamburg street: =,
A. H. Bowers. of Tonawanda, says: II
wan on the third floor with J. T. McUurdy,
Of Dsusvilie. Our room was l5l front.
We escaped in our night shirts. I went
back for my watch and came near being
burned to death. Thank God am not
hurt"
t.s "A SAD ACCIDENT. :,
One OF the saddoat scenes Of the conflag'
ration was tho fall Of 3 man from the win
dow 10 the roof Of the frame structure ad'
joining on Main street, heretofore men
tionei. He was William Purcell, Of thlt
city, local agent Of Bradstreet's. He mus
have been severely burned Internally. "
falling he struck on his head and died 81
l M ..~nf nfAnf1tp IT, a. J.